Carl W. Kenney II is an award winning columnist and novelist. He is committed to engaging readers into a meaningful discussion related to matters that impact faith and society. He grapples with pondering the impact faith has on public space while seeking to understand how public space both hinders and enhances the walk of faith.

Friday, September 26, 2014

A white man's apology and a black man's resignation?

What happens when you take a white man’s apology and cross
it with a black man’s resignation?

A heap of speculation.

When Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson apologized to Michael
Brown’s family for taking four hours to move their son’s dead body from the hot
pavement, you could hear a thunderous roar – what took you so long? Why now?
What up with that? Keep your apology to yourself, and, while at it, put it
where the sun don’t shine.

Did you feel the rage coming? Why did it take you 48 days?
Why release it on video? Reach out to the family. Take it like a man and face
the expressions on their faces as you feed them that lame “I’m sorry dude”.
While at it, there’s a long list of things to apologize.How about showing regret for tear-gas, rubber
bullets and police pointing guns at protestors.

You got some nerve.

As Jackson released his video public relations maneuver,
Eric Holder was preparing to resign his post as US Attorney General. It would
be presumptuous to suggest a correlation between the two, but Holders
resignation felt like one of those kiss my black caboose moments. It felt like
that moment when you’re fed up, sick and tired and unwilling to take any more
of the mess.It felt like that second
you want to slap the collective face of all who stood in your way by screaming “I’m
out!”

We don’t know the reasons behind Holder’s decision.It could be health related.I could be he wants to spend more time with
family.As much as inquisitive minds
want to know, it’s none of our business.With that being said, can we blame Holder if he’s fed up with dealing
with lunatics incapable of seeing life beyond their hillbilly privilege?

It has to be grim contending with gun pushers after the
death of elementary students. Instead of rallying for gun legislation, many
sought more gun freedom in response to mass murder. Yes, take this job and
shove it.It doesn’t stop there. Holder
was engaged in a battle to overcome mindsets and ways that refuses to concede
the implications related to assumptions involving race, racism and privilege.

That stuff shows up in the way the judicial system enforces
laws.It pops up in the way lines are drawn
in disparate ways in the handling of crimes.Holder attempted to attack how race decides punishment. He tried, the
best he could, to undo decades of policies that adds to black incarceration and
unfair treatment.

The brother could not do it alone. There are layers of abuse
that shows up with racial profiling, assumptions of judges, prosecutors who
bury evidence, and citizens unwilling to assume innocence until proven guilty.

Could it be Ferguson was the last straw?Could it be it was enough to convince the
nation’s top-cop it’s too much to undo?

To his credit, Holder did his best in keeping it real.He attempted to tell his personal story in a
way that helps people understand the burdens associated with being a black man
in America.Yes, it is common to get
stopped for no other reason than walking while black.

Being real, while serving in high places, isn’t met well by
those who prefer it when black folks keep their feelings private, act in a way
that reflects appreciation for the hard work white people have done to
understand. The proper political position is to talk about Dr. King’s dream
versus our nation’s continued nightmare.

Holder showed up in Ferguson, MO to show he
understands.Those who needed his
presence felt the force of the White House.They wanted Obama to show up, but knew it’s hard for a brother due to
the constant criticism for talking about being black in America.

Maybe Holder is fed up with pretending?Maybe he needs space to say what’s really on
his mind.Maybe politics took a massive
toil and he’s sick of mending wounds he didn’t create.

Maybe he’s fed up with dealing with police officers killing
black men like its hunting season.Maybe
it’s too much pain to carry while knowing there isn’t much one man, especially
a black man, can say or do.

That’s a bunch of speculation. We may never know why Holder
quit.

As much as many of us hate it, we understand.I can’t blame him if he’s sick of carrying
the burden of America’s mess.

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Carl W. Kenney II

Carl was named the best serious columnist of 2011 by the North Carolina Press Association for his work with the News & Observer's community paper The Durham News and in 2016 by the Missouri Press Association for his columns in the Columbia Missourian. He is a columnist with the News & Observer and Co-Executive Producer of "God of the Oppressed" an upcoming documentary film on black liberation theology. He is a former Adjunct Professor at the University of Missouri - School of Journalism and Adjunct Instructor at Duke University, the Center for Documentary Studies. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He furthered his education at Duke University and attained a Master of Divinity. He was named a Fellow in Pastoral Leadership Development at the Princeton Theological Seminary on May 14, 2005. He is a freelance writer with his commentary appearing in The Washington Post, Religious News Services,The Independent Weekly and The Durham Herald-Sun. Carl is the author of two novels: “Preacha’ Man” and the sequel “Backslide”.
He has led congregations in Missouri and North Carolina